title: Minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques in the closure of ventricular septal defect: an alternative approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques recently have been applied in the management of a variety of intracardiac lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fourteen patients (6 boys and 8 girls; age, 8.9 +/- 5.5 years; body weight, 29.0 +/- 13.5 kg) were operated on using minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques for the closure of a ventricular septal defect (subarterial in 11 patients and perimembranous in 3 patients). The operations were performed through a left anterior minithoracotomy and were guided by video-assisted endoscopic techniques under femorofemoral cardiopulmonary bypass. The myocardium was protected by continuous coronary perfusion with hypothermic fibrillatory arrest. The right ventricular outflow tract was entered after pericardiotomy was performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Closure of the defect (directly in 4 patients and by patch in 10 patients) was performed successfully in all patients. A right ventricular outflow tract obstruction and ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm also were repaired in 1 patient each. The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass was 41 +/- 10 minutes (range, 28 to 100 minutes) and the total operative time was 2.2 +/- 0.8 hours (range, 1.3 to 3.5 hours). All the patients recovered rapidly from their operation and had an uneventful postoperative course. Follow-up (mean, 6.2 months; range, 6 to 9 months) was complete in all patients. There were no late deaths. Transthoracic echocardiographic examination showed no residual shunt and no aortic regurgitation in all patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our experience demonstrates that minimally invasive cardiac surgical techniques are technically feasible and an alternative option for the repair of a ventricular septal defect.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung Medical College, Taipei, Taiwan.
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: H P
authors.initials: HP
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: F C
authors.initials: FC
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: M W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Tan
mesh_terms: D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006345:Heart Septal Defects, Ventricular / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome